Why 2016 Was the Year of Giving

Nonprofits have seen an influx of charitable giving.

By Alexandra HartDecember 20, 2016 9:45 am

Many nonprofits are reporting charitable donations are up as the end of the year approaches. Some of this could be driven by the tax implications at the end of the calendar year. But some nonprofits, like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, are reporting “unprecedented” spikes in contributions. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is usually the big push for charitable donations, but the Washington Post reports many nonprofits had already filled their coffers in the weeks before.

Steve MacLaughlin looked at what’s been driving this apparent boom in philanthropic giving. He’s vice president of data and analytics at Blackbaud, a company that provides services for nonprofit organizations.

“There’s a lot of trends that are coming together here at the end of the calendar year,” he says. “Traditionally, there’s a tremendous amount of giving to charitable organizations that happens the last three months of the year. But in 2016, there are a couple of other trends that are obviously happening and taking place that are influencing that giving.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– The increase in online giving and overall giving throughout the year

– Have nonprofits seen more donations post-election?

– What recent trends tell us about philanthropy at large